Cruising with my granddaughter, what do I need beside a letter?

[kona_wahine]

I’m getting both parents to sign notarized letters stating I can take my granddaughter, do I need anything else? I thought I read I need a copy of their driver license also? Did I dream that? I’m hoping my ex-SIL doesn’t cause any sticking points for me….. TIA!

[Ferry_Watcher]

Are you traveling on NCL, or Carnival?  Your post is in Carnival.

 

Aside from the letter, you will need your grandchild's passport or gov't issued birth certificate (no hospital copy with footprints).  Depending on their age, a proof of vaccination card and a negative covid test.  Again, depending on their age, there may be an additional (free) on-site covid test (given to children that are not vaccinated to their age).

 

Each cruise line varies a bit for children under 12 regarding vaccination requirements.  You really need to take a good look at your cruise line's webpage.

 

Also, you both need to be registered on the Canadian government's  ArrriveCan app.   You can register all members of your travel party.  You can fill out the basic information now, but it won't allow you to submit the information until 72 hours before the day you embark on your cruise.  Once submitted, you will receive a QR code that you will have to show at the terminal in order to start your embarkation process. Make sure you remember your ArriveCan password!

[kona_wahine]

This trip is on Carnival,  in June. Her government original birth certificates is no problem. Got that. Getting her vaccinated now, she’s 12 and will be fully vaccinated well within 2 weeks of cruise. Will do the eMed testing. I have the arrivecan app already for our NCL cruise. All good on all that, just want to make sure I have what I need to make sure I have authority over her. 

[Number12]

Don't forget to include a medical release in the letter in case of accident or injury so that you are authorized to get her care.

 

[1025cruise]

While not really necessary, I would want the granddaughter to have a passport versus birth certificate. 

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

While not really necessary, I would want the granddaughter to have a passport versus birth certificate. 

We paid to get our granddaughter's passport for our cruise. I felt comfortable taking my own kids out of the country with just their birth certs, but someone else's kid is a different matter. OP, someone may ask your granddaughter who she is cruising with or something along those lines. It's important that 1) she know the answer and 2) that you don't answer for her. If you are already aware of this then that comment is for anyone else following along who may not know it.🙂

[kona_wahine]

If we were going somewhere other than Alaska I’d get a passport for her but this trip I feel comfortable with just a birth certificate. We are not getting off ship in Victoria. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

4 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

she’s 12 and will be fully vaccinated well within 2 weeks of cruise.

Just a reminder it is 14 days for the second shot (unless it's the J&J) before the cruise.

Example, it you were cruising (embarking) today 4/28, her second shot would have to been given on 4/14 or before.

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, kona_wahine said:

If we were going somewhere other than Alaska I’d get a passport for her but this trip I feel comfortable with just a birth certificate. We are not getting off ship in Victoria. 

Yes, for Alaska I'd feel different as well. 

[kona_wahine]

53 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Just a reminder it is 14 days for the second shot (unless it's the J&J) before the cruise.

Example, it you were cruising (embarking) today 4/28, her second shot would have to been given on 4/14 or before.

Our cruise is june 29, she’s supposed to have her 2nd shot in the next couple weeks, so all good. 🙂 

[scpirate]

When i took my 3 grandsons.the only thing required was extra money. A lot of extra money..we are glad that was a one time deal. They don't have sail and sign cards on land vacations.

[kona_wahine]

1 hour ago, scpirate said:

When i took my 3 grandsons.the only thing required was extra money. A lot of extra money..we are glad that was a one time deal. They don't have sail and sign cards on land vacations.

So you didn’t have to take a letter? I’m so confused by this, have heard both ways. Her parents are divorced, her dad lives in a different state. Mom has sole custody.  (I’ll keep an eye on the account each day, but she’s pretty good, I don’t imagine she will charge up a bunch of stuff without permission)

Edited April 28, 2022 by kona_wahine

[chocolate melting cake]

11 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

’m getting both parents to sign notarized letters stating I can take my granddaughter, do I need anything else? I thought I read I need a copy of their driver license also? Did I dream that? I’m hoping my ex-SIL doesn’t cause any sticking points for me….. TIA!

We've taken our each of our 3 granddaughters on a cruise at age 12 and found a form that the parents have signed and had notarized for each. In all the cruises we have never been asked for any type of proof------but of course if we hadn't had it we probably would have! I will include it here and you might wish to modify it to fit your needs. Enjoy your time with her-----we discuss the cruises with them each time we see them (only twice a year unfortunately).

[kona_wahine]

Great, thank you!

[JeanieTheMom]

We just got home from a spring-break cruise out of Mobile with our granddaughter. (By the way, we all had a blast!) 

Since she's 14, she didn't need photo id. We used her BC, and had a letter from parents saying we could take her out of the country, and could get her any medical treatment. They never asked for the letter.

 

Love to make memories with the grandchildren!

[LaRue1975]

4 hours ago, scpirate said:

When i took my 3 grandsons.the only thing required was extra money. A lot of extra money..we are glad that was a one time deal. They don't have sail and sign cards on land vacations.

You can go to guest services and put a daily limit on their sail & sign cards, I am definitely doing this when we take our grandson on his first cruise in October. He’s a kid, adults have a hard enough time staying in budget, lol! 

[AQW]

9 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

We paid to get our granddaughter's passport for our cruise. I felt comfortable taking my own kids out of the country with just their birth certs, but someone else's kid is a different matter. 

 

We've brought our kids' friends along on several cruises and that was always my policy -- no passport, no cruise. I required each friend to have a valid passport and a notarized letter from their parents outlining the trip and stating we could act in loco parentis as needed. We were never asked for any documentation, but I wouldn't dream of traveling without it. 

[kona_wahine]

Thank you all for your input. I’ll get my daughters letter, and not stress. I’m excited about spending the week with her. I babysat her growing up, shes in middle school so I don’t see her much now. We are zip lining, dog sledding, bear hunting, whale watching, just gonna have a lot of fun just the 2 of us. 

[sparks1093]

11 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

So you didn’t have to take a letter? I’m so confused by this, have heard both ways. Her parents are divorced, her dad lives in a different state. Mom has sole custody.  (I’ll keep an eye on the account each day, but she’s pretty good, I don’t imagine she will charge up a bunch of stuff without permission)

That's the situation that exists for our step granddaughter. We brought the letter (and a copy of the court order giving mom sole custody) but no one asked to see them. Since it is better to have it and not need it we were glad we had it.